


Deepest Wounds

by Shipper_Girl



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angry Oliver, Dark, F/M, Original Character Death(s), vengeance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-12
Updated: 2015-10-18
Packaged: 2018-04-20 09:42:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4782743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shipper_Girl/pseuds/Shipper_Girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Team Arrow suffers a devastating blow and a new enemy strikes at them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This should be fairly short, no more than 3 chapters.
> 
> Not what I usually write but I usually like very dark stories or crack.
> 
> No Beta so all mistakes are mine.

Oliver shifted in his chair, watching patrons come and go.  It was after nine, Felicity should have been here half an hour ago.  She was never late unless it had something to do with Arrow business.  Since no one had called him he figured that it wasn't a major crime going on at the moment.  Reaching into his pocket for the umpteenth time to make sure the small velvet box was still in his pocket he ignored everyone around him. 

  This was the night.  He had tried to propose a dozen time already but no time had been as perfect as the night when Thea and Laurel had interrupted their dinner.  He’d had the ring even longer, it had been his grandmother’s something his mother had given to him soon after his return from the Island.  Now he realized there would be no perfect time.  He also realized that the only thing that mattered was that he and Felicity loved each other and any time they were together was perfect.

  Oliver looked up when he heard the restaurant door open and frowned when he saw Diggle.  Digg’s face was set and grim and- were his eyes red and his lids puffy?  Oliver’s eyes scanned the door of the window and was baffled when he noticed that Captain Lance was standing there, his face hard and grim.

  With a sinking feeling in his stomach Oliver stood, one hand stretched out as if to stop Digg from closer.  “No.”  He gritted out, drawing the attention of the other patrons.

  If Digg didn't say it, it wasn't real.  If he didn't hear the words, his whole world wouldn't be ripped apart like tissue paper.  That the happiness he’d had for the past months wasn't gone.

  He shook his head, gritted his teeth until his jaw ached.  “No.” 

  Digg kept coming despite the rage that Oliver couldn't hide.  “I'm so sorry.”

  Childishly he covered his ears as if that would stop the words.  But it was too late, he had already knew and Oliver felt his legs go. Digg managed to catch him before he hit the ground.

  “No.”  A broken word that wrenched the heart of every man and woman in the restaurant.

  Oliver made a sound, part sob, part denial and sounded more like it came from a wounded animal.  He clung to Digg, burying his face in the scratchy wool of John’s coat as a sob ripped itself out of his throat.

  “No.”

  “Come on, Oliver.”  John said as he led, or more precisely half carried, half dragged Oliver out of the restaurant, away from the probing eyes of the other patrons.  “Come on, let’s get you out of here.” 

  John shared his grief but right now his priority was to get Oliver out of sight so the other man could have his breakdown in private with people who loved him surrounding him. 

  Oliver was completely oblivious to his surroundings, not noticing the Canary and Speedy watching from the shadows, making sure that if Felicity was the first strike they wouldn't take Oliver too.

  Thea had found the blood, having come home from a patrol to find that the loft’s door had been left ajar, she’d been wary as she opened the door only to find the loft in a complete disarray.  Felicity had fought her attacker, there wasn't a table that wasn't upended, and there was at least two knifes embedded in the wall.  Two of the large windows that overlooked the balcony were shattered, glass and blood littering the floor in a macabre display of the battle that had taken place. 

  Thea had followed the blood that had trailed up the stairs.  There were hand prints on each step, as if Felicity had more crawled up the stairs, trying to get away from her attacker.  Blood had showed the path in ever thicker puddles until Thea had arrived just outside the door of the room that Oliver and Felicity shared. A bloody hand print marred the otherwise pure white door.  Thea was so sure that she was going to find the body of the woman her brother loved she almost sagged in relief when a sweep of the room only showed yet another puddle.  It only took her a moment to realize that the amount of blood that saturated the soft grey carpet was too much for anyone to survive.

  She had called John first, explaining in an near hysterical tone that something had happened Felicity.  John had arrived fifteen minutes later, to find Thea standing over the large puddle of blood in the centre of Oliver and Felicity’s bedroom.

  Years of military training snapped Diggle into laser focus.  This wasn't the bedroom of his best friends, this wasn't the room of the woman he considered his sister this was a crime scene and he was going to focus on the facts.  Only the facts, not the crushing pain that radiated from his chest with every heart beat that told him that no one, especially tiny Felicity Smoak, could survive blood loss like that.  With a jerk of his head he refused to think about this being Felicity.  “Did you find the body?”  (Not Felicity’s body, dear God, not her body.)

  “No.”  Thea replied, sounding dazed.

  “Did you look?”  Digg demanded sharply.

  “There’s no more blood.”  Thea said.

  John looked to the puddle and he swallowed back the bile that threatened to come up, burning his throat.  No, there were bloody marks like someone (not Felicity) had dragged their mortally wounded body as far as they could from the door before they had collapsed to bleed out.  How much blood did a woman (not Felicity) have? 

  Thea let out a gasping sob.  “Oh, God!”  She cried, a hand over her mouth as she ran out of the room, slipping in the blood as she escaped the smell of iron that permeated to room.

  Diggle heard wrenching sounds outside the door and he nodded in distant approval that she hadn't contaminated the crime scene.

  On autopilot Digg pulled out his phone and dialed Captain Lance.  Later he would have no idea what he had said to the other man but it seemed only like a few minutes later that the Captain was standing in the room (not Oliver and Felicity’s bedroom) face grim as crime techs worked around them.

  There were questions and John answered to the best of his ability, gently prodding a white faced Thea to do the same.  Lance was through but surprisingly gentle and his own face was pale.

  “You sure it’s her’s?  Where’s Queen?”

  Digg nodded.  “Oliver told me he wanted to arrive at the restaurant early so he could take to the waiter.”  Digg said, his voice oddly hollow.  “Felicity said she was going to go straight from work to the restaurant.  I don’t know why she came here.  Her assistant might know.”

  When Lance held out a tissue John was so surprised that he felt his face was  wet.  He had been crying without realizing it.  Suddenly he wanted Lyla.  God he wanted his wife, for her to wrap her arms around him and assure him that this was nothing more than a nightmare.  That Felicity wasn't gone, most likely dead, her body nowhere to be found. 

  “What am I going to tell Sara?”  Digg heard himself ask.  “She loved Felicity.”  He choked on the past tense like his body was trying to reject that she was gone. 

  Thea’s face crumbled but she managed not to cry.  “What are we going to tell Ollie?”

  One of the crime techs came, whispering to the Captain who went two shaded paler before nodding curtly. 

  “They were able to confirm the blood.  It’s Felicity Smoak’s blood.”

  The tech nodded.  “We’re confirmed that there was over 2 litres of blood.  Unless she received immediate medical attention this is a fatal amount of blood loss.”

  “We have to tell Oliver.”  Thea said, her voice hard.

  “I will.”                                                                                                         

  Of course it would be him.  Oliver might lash out and Digg was the only one that could take the hit.

  Now Digg knew it had been ridicules to think that Oliver would lash out.  When Oliver was in deep emotional pain he turned it inwards, lashing out only against himself.

  Lance was solemnly silent as John managed to get Oliver into the back of the car.  John confirmed that Speedy and Canary were doing likewise.

  They wouldn't allow anything to happen to Oliver.


	2. Chapter 2

Felicity had made all the arrangements for her funeral over three years ago, not long after she had learned Oliver’s secret.  She hadn't wanted a religious ceremony.  Since there was no body they were going to bury a empty casket, it was simple and plain, as was in the Jewish custom.

  Oliver had protested violently that until they had a body they wouldn't have a funeral for her.  He had been declared dead without a body and he wasn't going to let people make the same mistake.  But Donna, pale, without her make-up or tight dresses or towering stilettos had said that she was going to bury her daughter’s spirit, if not her body. 

  Oliver hadn't been able to argue with her then, not when her huge blue eyes, so like her daughters had pleaded with him.

  Oliver stared at his reflection, he barely recognized the man in the mirror.  Dark circles under his eyes gave the impression of dark bruises.  Hair longer than he usually allowed it to grow, it was wild and untamed from repeatedly tunnelling his fingers through it.  Nicks dotted his chin and neck from where he had cut himself from carelessly shaving.  His suit was too tight, straining over new muscles that had developed from near constant training and questioning criminals for information about Felicity.

  He looked like a man on the edge of sanity.  Felicity would hate to see him like this. 

  “Fuck!”  He yelled, sending his fist crashing into the mirror.  It wasn't enough.  He upended the small bedside table, sending a glass of water flying.

  The sound of breaking glass went with his ragged breathing as Oliver bent. 

  He couldn't breathe! 

  Hands scrambling at the tie he had been trying to straighten he yanked it until the silk lay on the floor.

  “Ollie!”                                                                                                         

  Oliver turned to see Thea, dressed in a black dress run into the room, only to come up short to see the destruction her brother had caused. 

  “Are you okay?”  She asked hesitantly.

  Oliver laughed hollowly, sounding brittle to his own ears.

  “No, I'm not.  I'm not going to be okay until I find her and the son of a bitch who did this.”

  It had been over a month and nothing.  It had been confirmed by three separate labs, including Star Labs that the blood had been Felicity’s.  There had been no fingerprints, no other blood, despite the fact that Felicity had obviously put up a fight. 

  Oliver squeezed his eyes closed, Felicity shouldn't have had to fight, he should have been there to protect her.  He had failed her.  Failed the woman he loved, the woman he had wanted to marry.  He had wanted it all, wanted to have children and dogs and PTA meetings and grow old with her.  

  Driving his fingers though his hair and pulled on the short stands until his scalp protested.

  It was Thea's hands on his arms that’ made him pause. 

  “Ollie, you have to stop.  You can’t do this!  Felicity-”

  “Felicity is dead!”  He yelled, his heart squeezing so hard he wasn't sure how it kept beating.

  Thea stared at him. 

  “Felicity is dead.”  He said again, his voice empty of any emotion. 

  When he looked back up at her, Thea took a step back, suddenly aware that her brother had killed people without mercy.

  “She’s dead and I am going to find her killer and make them sorry they ever even heard her name.”

  Oliver straitened and Thea could only stumble out of his way when he strode determinedly from the room, leaving her staring after him.

  **

  Quentin Lance had known Queen was the vigilantly for years but it wasn't until this moment that he had ever been afraid of him.  But that blank expression when he came to the graveside of Felicity Smoak sent a chill though him.  This was the Hood, the terror of Starling City.  This was a man who was preparing to spill as much blood as it took to get his vengeance.  And that was what he was after.  Later he might tell himself that he was searching for justice, but he wanted vengeance pure and simple.

  Looking around there were a lot of people at the grave site, that kid that got hit by lighting, he stood with two other people, talking quietly.  Diggle, his wife and daughter, Laurel, and Thea.  There were about fifty people that he knew were from QI that he’d seen from all the times he’d been there.  About a hundred people were there.  And if he were going to admit it, it appeared that Harper was hiding behind one of the large trees, a black hoodie pulled low over his face.  He knew the kid wasn't dead.

  “How did you know my Felicity?”  A soft, hoarse voice asked from beside him.           

  Quentin looked over and down at a blonde woman with red eyes.                                  

  Felicity’s mother.  He realized with a rush of sorrow for her.  He knew this pain.  He lived with this pain on a daily basis.  It wasn't something he’d wish on anyone.

  “She consulted with the police one in a while when our in-house IT department couldn't crack something.”  He offered the lie smoothly. 

  She gave a watery laugh.  “She was so good with computers.  She was so much like her father.  Always so smart.”  Her face crumpled in anguish and Quentin just wrapped a arm round her shoulder.

  Felicity’s mother collapsed against him, her sobs ripping at his insides, making his own eyes sting with unshed tears.

  It was Diggle’s wife that came over and ushered her away, letting the woman sob on her shoulder and she whispered soothing nonsense in her ear.

  Diggle, holding his daughter, came over.

  “Thanks.”

  Quentin nodded curtly.  “No parent should have to go through this.”  He said gruffly.

  The other man hitched his daughter closer, rubbing one massive hand down her back and nuzzled her hair.  “No.”

  “He’s been hitting the streets hard.”  Quentin said.

  Diggle shrugged.  “Felicity was his friend too.”

  Plausible deniability here.  Quentin knew that Queen was the real Arrow and Diggle knew that Quentin knew.  But if they didn't say the actual names, well-   

  “Yeah, friends.”  He couldn't help but dig.

  Diggle said nothing, just ran a soothing hand up and down his daughter’s back.  The little one had no idea what was going on, but she was fussy, feeling the tension of her parents.

  “He almost killed fifteen people.  Doc’s said one might have permanent brain damage.  Tell your guy to go easy on the head wounds.”

  Diggle said nothing but when the baby started to fuss loudly he started swaying the that way all parents did.

  There was a soft rustle of fabric and out of the shadows stepped Nyssa, dressed as a real human.

  She moved to Queen and touched his arm.  Queen glanced at her, seeming startled.  If anything his face hardened further when he saw her.  He asked something tersely and Nyssa responded with a nod.  Queen turned to stalk off and Nyssa finally spoke loud enough for Quentin to hear.

  “Will you not stay and honour your beloved’s customs?”

  “She’s not here.”  Queen snarled.  “And I’ll honour her when I find her body and find who did this.”

  “I have told you Ra’s has agreed to do as you have asked.”

  Diggle inhaled sharply beside him.

  “Then all the more reason not to waste my time over a empty casket.”

  The other funeral attendees gasped and started talking softly among themselves.

  Thea, Laurel and Barrie all went to surround Queen but he snarled something and stalked off.

  “Damn.”  Diggle muttered, he glanced at his wife, still comforting Felicity’s mother.

  He gave Quentin a hard look, and deposited his daughter into his arms. 

  “Guard her with your life.”  And moved off.

  Quentin looked into the big brown eyes of the third most beautiful baby he had ever seen.

  “So,”  he said awkwardly.  “How are you?”

  “Fliss.”  She said in her best attempt to say Felicity, as she pointed at the large photo of Felicity and Queen together.

  And damn if that didn’t make tears spill down his cheeks.     


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is taking so long. My father has to have heart surgery (valve replacement) and my worry for him has slaughtered my muse for this story. I am still working on this, but until his surgery is over and he's recovered I doubt I'll be able to write something dark.

Chapter 3

  “The CEO of a billion dollar company doesn't just get murdered and their body disappear without chatter on the street.”  Oliver  growled as he circled Tick Tac, the VP of the Devil’s Gateway biker club.

  “I'm telling you, no one’s heard nothing!”  Tick Tac yelled hoarsely .

  Oliver drove his fist into the man’s gut with enough force to force the air out of his lungs.

  “Then tell me who would know!”

  “Fuck you!”

  Oliver smiled darkly, took a step back and drew an arrow before notching it.  He took a cleansing breath, allowing everything to drain out of him.  In this moment there was nothing but an enemy he had to get answers from.  Tick Tac wasn't a human, he was something that was getting in the way of the answers he needed and he was going to get those answers one way or the other.

  “One more chance.  You've been hanging upside down for ten minutes, a lot of fluid is putting pressure on your body.  If I nick the carotid artery you’ll bleed out in seconds.”  Oliver said flatly.

  Maybe Tick Tac was smarter than he looked because he stopped his wild flailing to stare at him.

  “Aright!  Alright!  There’s a guy who people contact if they want someone dead with no questions.  You tell him who you want dead and he hires a hitter!  I don’t know what his name is, but word on the street is that he calls himself Aeron.  I don’t know where he lives, but he likes to spend time at a strip joint on 5th”

  Oliver’s eyes ticked to where Laurel had come into the ally, her masked face showing disapproval.  Striding towards her he silenced her before she could speak.

  “You heard of a broker by the name of Aeron?”

  “No.”

  Laurel grabbed his arm to pull him to a stop. 

  “When’s the last time you slept?  Or eaten a proper meal?  You can’t go on like this forever.”

  “I eat.”

  “Protein bars and shakes isn't a proper meal.  And what about sleep?”

  Oliver huffed out a jagged laugh.  “Sleep where?  My bedroom where Felicity bled out on the carpet?  Or what about in the living room, where she fought her attacker?  Or maybe the Bunker, that she designed?  Where her presence is everywhere?”

  “Is that why you’re wearing your League armor rather than the suit Felicity designed?”

  Oliver looked down at the League armor that he wore.  “That suit is for someone else, Laurel.  That man wouldn't be able to get the answers I need.”

  Laurel wouldn't be put off by his harsh tone.  “Felicity wouldn't want you to go down this path.  She always saw the good in you.”

  Oliver gritted his teeth.  “I haven’t killed anyone.”  The ‘yet’ hung in the air between them.  “But if it takes blacking my soul a little more to find her body and bring her killer to justice, it’s what I’ll do.  I’ll do anything it takes, even if I have to terrorize every lowlife in Star City.”

  “I heard what Nyssa said about Malcolm agreeing.”  Laurel finally said, voicing the worry that had been on every member of Team Arrow’s mind since the day of Felicity’s funeral.  “You’re going to put her body it the Lazarus pit.”

  Oliver said nothing, but that in of itself was answer enough.

  “Malcolm wouldn't do that out of the goodness of his heart.  What did you have to promise him in return for use of the Pit?”

  Still Oliver said nothing.

  “And what about the effects of the Pit?  Thea’s changed, you've seen it.  And Felicity would have been dead-”

  “We don’t know she’s even dead!”  Oliver shouted.  “And until I find a body I'm choosing to believe that she’s not dead.”

  Laurel wanted to wrap her arms around Oliver but she knew he would reject her offer of comfort.  He wouldn't even let Thea touch him with sympathy.  “Then why make a deal with Malcolm?”

  Oliver stared at her, his eyes stormy with a whirling combination of fear, grief and rage.  “Because I want every eventuality covered.”  He hefted his bow and let an arrow loose.

  Laurel turned to see the biker fall to the ground with a harsh thud.

  “Are you coming with me?” Oliver demanded.

  Any other circumstances Laurel might had made some quip about how that the old Ollie would have loved dragging her to a strip club.

  “Yeah.”

  “Then come on.”  Oliver said turning around and walked out of the ally without a backward look.

  With a sigh she followed even as she pulled out her phone.

  “Digg, I need some help.

**

  Diggle had thought he had seen Oliver at his worst but this was an even darker version of his friend.  When Oliver had first come back he’s been in a one man warpath to right the wrongs done by his family but he’d had a plan that he followed.  But this- it was so dangerous for anyone to be on the edge, but someone with Oliver’s level of training it was frightening.

  He was pushing himself so hard these past weeks with little to no sleep.  The far wall was littered with arrow impaled tennis balls and he had demolished two training dummies. 

  “Maybe we shouldn't tell him.” Thea mused, arms crossed over her chest, watching Oliver steadily make his way up the salmon ladder.

  “He’ll find out on his own.  He’s been scouring the internet for any traces.”

  “This is a big one.”  Thea agreed.  She sighed.  “I'm afraid it might push him over the edge.”

  Personally Digg was worried about that as well but he didn't want to voice the thought.  “Your brother is stronger than we know.  He can handle this.”

  Thea didn't look completely convinced but she nodded.

  “Hey, man, could you come down here?”  Digg called.

  Oliver jumped smoothly down, landing hard, showing how tired he was.  “Yeah?”

  Digg said nothing, simply handed over the tablet that held the report.

  Oliver took it, his eyes scanning the new article.  His eyes hardened and his jaw clenched.

  “When?”

  “This one, about ten hours ago.”

  Oliver’s eyes blazed.  “There are more?”

  Digg met his eyes.  “Five more.”

  “How did we not know about this?”  Oliver demanded.

  “Look, man I know how to use her computers, but I'm no Felicity.  I was lucky I found this.  Someone is burying this story as deep as they can.”

  “What’s the connection?”  Oliver demanded.

  “None.  They’re in different states.”

  “Are you telling me that people are missing, with enough blood left behind to be fatal, just like Felicity, and we’re only hearing about it now?”

  Oliver ran his hands though his hair in aggravation. 

  “Look, none of us have been at our best.  We all miss her and Felicity she was-”

  “I know what Felicity was, Digg.”  Oliver gritted out.

  John nearly jumped when his cell  rang from his pocket.  Fishing it out he saw it was Lyla, answering he held it up to his ear.

  “Hey, Lyla.”

  “ _Amanda finally agreed to speak with me.”_ Was Lyla’s immediate response.

  “Well better a week later than never, huh?  What do you have?”

  _“She claims she doesn't know anything.  But when I was in ARGUS I spoke to a agent that owes me a few favors, he told me that the prison in the island was breached.  Wilson escaped._ ”

  “And she didn't tell us!”  John yelled.

  “ _I'm sorry, Johnny.”_

“When?”

  “ _Fours days before the break-in at the loft.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written before we learned that Laurel didn't know anything about the Pit.
> 
> Thanks for reading.


End file.
